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Dec 17, 2014

Wednesday, December 17th 2014 Fred Piscop

Theme: Kangaroo Commands.

17A. *Source of chips and 6-Across : IDAHO POTATO. Ah, the humble spud. I read somewhere that the rich Idaho loam which nurtures these delicious tubers came from Yosemite when the caldera exploded c. 55,000 years ago. Apparently this happens about once every 50,000 years, so the potato farmers should be expecting another gazillion tons of topsoil coming their way sometime soon.

11D. *Wide-legged fashion : GAUCHO PANTS. Not gauche pants, those would be sequined disco-trousers from the 70's. According to Target's fashion page, gaucho pants are "flowy and fab". Just the thing for Don Q. and Sancho.

25D. *Rory McIlroy won it in 2014 : BRITISH OPEN. The oldest of golf's four majors, and properly called "The Open Championship".

37A. Words to a hitchhiker, and a literal hint to what spans both words of the answers to starred clues : HOP IN

Buenos dias, muchachos y muchachas.Steve here hitching a ride with Fred's latest. The theme ended on little bit of a flat note for me - the fourth theme entry had the odd-man-out feel with
Idaho/Sancho/Gaucho tripping rhymily off the tongue, then "British" coming in
as something of a clanger. Wedded to the fact that the tournament isn't actually called that, it all just seemed a little clumsy. Maybe I should go and change out of my grumpy pants.

That aside, I enjoyed this one - a few missteps left me with a couple of head-scratchers and that's always a good thing. Let's check out the rest.

Across:

1. Crockpot concoctions : STEWS. Food! I'm happy, right off the bat.

6. Bar snack made from 17-Acrosses : SKINS. Let's see - fried potato, bacon, cheese, sour cream and salt. I'm not sure your cardiologist would call this a snack, more a heart attack on a plate.

11. USO show attendees : GIs. Here are some very happy ones:

14. Purity measure : KARAT. Karat vs. Carat. Discuss.

15. Card for a seer : TAROT

16. Hibachi residue : ASH

19. Draw upon : USE

20. Two-thumbs-up review : RAVE

21. When directed : ON CUE

23. Drop in the ocean : EBB TIDE. Starting out with LOW TIDE had me looking at some odd downs later.

30. Lake Erie port : TOLEDO. Home of the AAA Mud Hens. They don't sound as tasty as 27A's.

31. Like Wrigley Field's walls : IVIED. It's a ground-rule double if a ball gets lost in it.

32. Baby spoilers, perhaps : NANAS

33. Play with, cat-style : PAW

36. Brings home : NETS

38. Anti-art movement : DADA

39. One of football's Mannings : ELI. Your other options are Archie or Peyton, neither of which fit.

40. Like 101 courses : BASIC

41. Not as loopy : SANER

42. "Heathers" actor Christian : SLATER. Fortunately for my lack of knowledge of actors and movies, there are not many "Christians" in the business. I've never heard of the movie. Did it garner 20A reviews?

44. Terrarium pet : TURTLE

45. Siri speaks on them : iPHONES. Pretty much the only thing she says on mine is "I'm sorry, I didn't get that". I don't think she speaks British English.

47. Idiomatic trendsetters : JONESES

48. Trembled : SHOOK

49. They're usually loaded : SOTS

50. Cut back : LOP

58. Wolfed down : ATE

59. Poseidon's realm : OCEAN

60. Hunter of myth : ORION

61. Jamaican "mister" : MON

62. Grown-up efts : NEWTS

63. Wyoming's __ Range : TETON. I read somewhere that the French explorer who first encountered the Grand Tetons named them for a couple of the physical attributes belonging to his wife back home. I can't comment on that.

Down:

1. Schuss, say : SKI. Straight downhill. The first and easiest skiing maneuver you learn. Then you discover you need to stop or turn, when all your problems start. I once had a T-shirt that read "To turn is to admit defeat". I might get some of those made again.

13. Gold lamé quality : SHEEN. I had SHEER first which made SAGE HER an odd-looking bird.

18. Inflates, as an expense account : PADS

22. Writer Buntline : NED. Who? Perps all the way.

23. Newsstand app download : E-ZINE

24. Slanted edge : BEVEL

26. Little piggies : TOES.

27. __ boom : SONIC. We used to hear them occasionally in Los Angeles when the Space Shuttle went over en route to touchdown. The first one I heard was back in England when the Concorde was being test-flown - it caused much consternation.

28. Arkin of "Argo" : ALAN

30. Fleshy-snouted beast : TAPIR

32. Snouts : NOSES. Fun proximity to the anteater above.

34. Singer with the albums "19" and "21" : ADELE. Named for her age when the albums were recorded. Quite a talent.

57. New England cape : ANN. I learned this from crosswords. I think I should make a bucket list of "cruci-places" to visit - Cape Ann, the Aral Sea, Mt. Etna, Laos, the River Yser, the Soo locks - there's quite a world tour!

Here's the grid - see you all next time!

Steve

Note from C.C.:

I've been missing posts from Yellowrocks (Kathy), who is going to have knee surgery on January 12, 2015. Then she can dance to her heart's content. Below is a picture of Kathy from their church's Cookies and Creches event. She also told me:

"This
month I am deep in the clutches of the medical system, working on
pre-surgery and preparation for Alan's stay at respite while I am in the
hospital in January. The govt. regs are time consuming.. Also my weak
knees are slowing me down quite a bit.
On the bright side, I am beginning to see the "light at the end of the
tunnel" (thanks, Argyle). Only two more appointments, today and Thursday. Also, I am miraculously on track with my Christmas preparations."

I was zipping merrily along through this one until I suddenly hit a brick wall at EBB TIDE and SAGE HEN. It didn't help matters that GAUCHO PANTS was completely unknown to me. I persevered, however, and the perps eventually got me over the hump.

WHen I saw the theme reveal, I thought maybe that HOP was a word that could be appended to the end of the first word of each theme phrase and to the beginning of the second word. It took awhile to see that it simply appeared in the middle of each phrase. At least I got it, though...

Okay, NED Buntine was pretty obscure. Thank goodness for the perps. I looked him up and learned that Ned Buntline was the pseudonym of Edward Zane Carroll Judson, Sr. (1821 ~ 1886). He was an American publisher, journalist, writer and publicist

QOD: A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just. ~ Pope Francis (b. 1936)

Our second 2014 puzzle from Fred, a seasoned pro NYT constructor and both with middle of the fill run on theme. The first a Sunday with Greek letters. It seemed on the easy side for a Wednesday, and I did notice the three ho' s and one h.

I liked seeing SANCHO get some love and The Chairman gets more CEO with the Stooges.

Good day,Well, I surprised (and frightened) myself when I finished this one... on the computer... that "ta-da" fanfare is loud. I'll remember to turn the Volume down before starting next time. My daughter was a GAUCHO... and is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara. Always thought they could have come up with a better mascot. But then there's UC Santa Cruz and their Banana Slugs.

Nice enjoyable puzzle, and nice writeup today... not a speed run for me. Wanted SHINE instead of SHEEN. It's raining again and since Bakersfield is the driest of the dry, every day it rains is usually a record rainfall. Thanks to all. Best to Yellowrocks (Kathy). I know too well what she must be going through.

Steve, thanks. Did not get the Andy Capp "elevenses"... is that a British thing? I always liked the strip, and was his wife named Flo? Can't recall.

The author of The Hobbit Mr. Tolkein was British, a professor and friend of C.S. Lewis. The idea of a midmorning snack is probably more universal, though I doubt any other than those influenced by the Commonwealth use the term ELEVENSES.

Staying in GB, the shot that I beleive was the most impressive of all was that of Constantine Rocca on the 18th, when he needed to get up and down from just off the green to tie John Daly to get into a playoff. He duffed his chip and left himself a 70 foot putt. What happened then is what you can WATCH

Steve: Wonderful write-up. I especially enjoyed the ADELERolling in the Deep link.

Other than needing two write-overs:TOO funny before NOT funny andCOD as the New England cape before Cape ANNthis was a speed run.

I really enjoyed the HOP IN theme.

As a lifelong member of the SOTS Club ... I can say we're not always loaded. lol.And I can report the Villa IncognitoChristmas Bar has been filled with Black Grouse, Famous Grouse, Black Bottle (scotch, thanks for the recommend Moe), Dewar's Highlander Honey (a SO to Irish Miss), Duggan's Dew (86.8 proof) and some Stuart (for my non-discriminating friends) ...No Pinch anywhere ... since they raised its price 33%.

It is a beautiful day here in Tampa Bay ... if you call a "Clear Blue Sky, heading to 72 degrees" beautiful.Cheers to all at my Sunset Toast!

This was an easy Wednesday offering with only two write-overs: low tide/ebb tide and shine/sheen. After filling in Idaho Potato and then Gaucho, I thought we were heading toward both theme words ending in "o", but pants shot that idea down.

Thanks, Fred P., for a mid-week treat and thanks, Steve, for a witty expo.

Tin, I'm not familiar with Highlander Honey; does it really taste like honey? I drink plain White Label with lots of _ _ _!

YR, keep us posted when you have a free moment. In the meantime, before your surgery, try to take it easy. 😉

3D: My first guess was LUX (shows my age). LUX Flakes was a detergent I remember from the 40's. But it turns out it was made by Lever Brothers and not P&G. They sponsored a radio show called "The LUX Radio Theater" where each week they recreated a movie.

Unfortunately the link I posted did not talk about the flakes. This one does. The flakes dissolved very quickly and as kids, we used it to make soap liquid for blowing bubbles. (No iPhones in those days).

Well, this was a speed run for me except for the NW corner, which didn't budge for the longest time. Turns out I read the first clue as "Crackpot concoctions"--meaning some kind of joke or prank. Finally saw it as "Crockpot"--whew. I have a feeling that cataract surgery is going to have to come sooner rather than later, if I can't read a clue correctly. But at least I got the theme as soon as I had the reveal. Lots of fun, thanks, Fred, and you too, Steve.

Wondered if there was a family sub-theme with NANAS and DADA and PAW? (Nah).

Fun limerick, Owen.

We'll be following your journey and thinking of you, Yellowrocks. Lovely picture, by the way.

Thank you all for your encouragement. It is difficult for a doer to become a sitter. Looking at it objectively, I am getting along fairly well. That was a file picture taken at Cookie and Creches several years ago. I wasn't up to attending this year.I like the present format of the Corner. It is like schmoozing with a bunch of old friends. You are all so kind. I am happier with this type than with innuendo and trash talk, which is why I joined this particular blog.HG, Dennis, Marti, and CC I have been working and enjoying your great puzzles. Congrats on a job well done. CC,you are a wonderful mentor.Today's was a theme I could easily suss and there were no unknowns for me.I agree with ANON @ 7:46. A TAPIR is not an anteater.

Interesting observation, the Corner is like a cyber book club, where one person is to make the presentation and the rest comment and discussion ensues. The comments go from the cerebral, to the silly, to the suggestive, to the really funny and we do wander off topic to address personal stuff. We are not Siskel & Ebert.

fun puzzle today and i was really excited for the "TA DA" on a wednesday!

christian slater and johnny depp hung out in my locker in junior high - i've seen "Heathers" more times than i can count. even today, i will watch something just because christian slater is in it.

@steve - when my hubs and i first got our iphones, siri did not understand him at all. turns out he had chosen her language as "english - australian" so she was expecting an aussie accent! a quick change of siri's language to "english - US" solved it. she doesn't sound as sexy but at least they understand each other now.

KUUJ, when I initially posted here back in 2008, I had no plans on visiting regularly and had merely found the site trying to understand an answer which I had obtained from perps but which made no sense to me. I do not recall but it was something London Flower: THAMES.

I had used the name Lemmonade714 as a play on the Quaalude logo before, and when Google insisted on a name, there it was, but I dropped the uneeded second M.

Pud soaps were in fact pudding soaps, just like Argyle conjugated. During the WWII, when rationing of foodstuffs in Great Britain was at its height, soaps were made to be ( and meant to be ) eaten in an emergency. It was a convenient way of getting around the food rationing guide rules and also as a war measure. So, just like Ivory was 99.9% pure, LUX was 99.9% edible. Today, that particular formulation could very well have been used for food stamps in the US. Except for the pervasive, persistent and overwhelming obesity already present here.

Owen - glad to have you back! I have been on and off busy and lately my limericking mind has been a bit empty

Lemon - yeah, I did like the STOOGES solve; nice that my boys Curly and Larry can get a SO now and again. Seen "MOE" a lot more often!

JzB - thanks again for sharing the Christopher Bill trombone Xmas music; helps to get me in the Christmas "mood", plus the music/harmony is really, really good

Tin - hope your trip was a "success"; titillating, perhaps? ;^) BTW, I haven't had a chance to try the "new" Black Bottle Scotch, although from the description I read it appears as though the "newer" one is not as peaty and smoky as the one in the green bottle, so I may not like it as well. Might just have to find my way up to Villa Incognito and try some . . .

Oh, yeah, I did the puzzle today! Speed run; last clue to fall was SANCHO PANZA but by then I had figured the "theme" and all that was left was to insert an N here and a Z there . . . 17 and 6 across were a nice combo; I think I recall a recent puzzle where the clue for SKINS was "the other" side in a pickup basketball game . . .

OK - I am going to try, at least one or two days a week - to come up with a Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus (or whatever other Holidays are celebrated in DEC) limerick. I had my reindeer ones last week. Today's is in honor of the eight day/night Jewish one:

The former White House Page, Miss Monica,Hooked up with Bill this year, for Hanukkah;Lewinsky soon realized,Clinton is not circumcised,Now his "head" sports a brand new yarmulke!

Hm. I lived in Austria for a time, and SCHUSS! (sometimes "Tschuss") was a greeting or farewell, something like "Ciao" for Italians or chichi tourists. My ignorance shows I never learned to ski. When I moved to the Berkshires many years ago, I was warned about the snowy winters (and springs): "You'll have to learn to ski, or to sit by the fire and drink."As I say I never learned to ski...

Steve! I didn't understand the elevenses cartoon & did some research before my daughter kicked me out. It seems to be already covered, but I don't want to waste these mouthwatering pics!. Also, we have had the carot/karot/carrot discussion b/4, so is it ok if I just provide a visual...?

OK, I realize I went "out on a limb"; I sort of have Adam Sandler to blame, though. His Celebrity Cipher in our paper today dealt with Hanukkah and Yarmulke. There aren't too many rhyming words with either of these . . .

Double dagnabit! In trying to press the red X & go make Dinner, i discovered (b/4 daughter stole my PC) that I had more research in the wings (metaphorically speaking...)

HG, a side link to your link proves sonic booms can be visual, as well as annoying... Also, loved the Cat Ballou link, I saved it to watch the side links later. Hmm, a corset? He looks really good! (I would try it, except I am afraid my head would explode...)

Totally forgot to mention that I thought I had a multi Natick nit with the puzzle, as I was stuck in one area. But when I changed Napir to Tapir, Toledo, Sonic & Sagehen popped out, & then,,, nothing happened!

Rainman @7:07Luckily I was using a pen, very anticlimatic, but I have been blown out of my chair by that &*%$#@ TADA enough times that I actually change a known letter back to red b/4 finishing just to avoid them damn thing. (My nerves are shot...)

Spent 2 1/2 hours today squinting at the computer and completing a Federal government employment application. After that I picked up the puzzle and everything felt so "isshh..." Plucked a few low hanging fruit and then made a hasty contribution to the recycle bin.

But I will treat myself to a passive scroll through the comments. Here goes... :-)

Curse you Marti. I got it before the reveal, but had to say "Oh good grief! That was obvious!"

Not to stir any pots, but we've had a very interesting day in international politics. And we also have a significant S Florida constituency. Any thoughts on the days events? (With no ideological slant, por favor)

BIG rain last night! On the skylights, it sounded like it was raining golf balls. Than some lightning and thunder. Growing up back east I was used to lightning and thunder often in summer thunderstorms. Not so out here in coastal California. When I was teaching and a loud clap of thunder would surprise us, I might as well give up trying to teach anything for 10 minutes while the kids came back down from their zap of adrenaline.

Last night, Craig Ferguson was telling about an artist in Europe who painted with his penis, surprising well apparently. When asked how he did it, he replied, "Oh, it's --- ----."

CED, I enjoyed your sonic boom video. Very cool. I too hate the Ta Da! I often have the volume turned up a bit playing EmmyLou Harris or Leo Redbone on Pandora though external speakers. The TaDa is so annoying that, if I remember, I mute the audio for a few seconds.

I thought you might enjoy this photo of Orion and a meteor. Orion and fireball (Double click on the photo for highest resolution.)